HOLIDAY, FLA. — Housing Trust Group (HTG) has broken ground on Phase I of Park at Wellington, a $37.9 million affordable housing community located at 4369 Sunray Drive in Holiday, roughly 30 miles north of Tampa. Phase I of the 220-unit property will span 110 units, and HTG plans to open the complex in late 2017. The units will be reserved for renters earning at or below 40 percent to 60 percent of area median income (AMI). Rents will range from $367 to $783 per month. Construction of Phase II is expected to start in November 2016. Phase I development funding sources include $16 million in 9 percent Low Income Housing Tax Credit Equity provided by Indianapolis-based City Real Estate Advisors and a $15.5 million construction loan provided by KeyBank, which converts to a $3.5 million permanent loan after completion. HTG has five affordable housing communities currently under construction in Florida. The project team for Park at Wellington includes architect Fugleberg Koch PLLC; civil engineer High Point Engineering Inc.; and general contractor HTG Hennessy LLC.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Greenville, S.C.-based Davis Property Group has sold Verde Vista, a 257-unit apartment community located in Asheville’s East submarket. Raleigh-based Chaucer Creek Capital LLC purchased the asset for $41.5 million. Built in 2012, Verde Vista’s units feature nine-foot ceilings, plank faux-wood flooring, washer and dryer units and black EnergyStar appliances. Phil Brosseau and Kevin Kempf of CBRE represented Davis Property Group in the transaction. Steve Heffner, Nate Sittema and Kristen Reilley of CBRE’s Charlotte office arranged a 10-year, fixed-rate, $33.2 million acquisition loan through Fannie Mae on behalf of the borrower.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Tishman Speyer has purchased a two-acre site near Nationals Ballpark in Washington, D.C., with plans to develop a multifamily community. The property will feature 800 residential units, 44,000 square feet of retail space and below-grade parking. The site occupies a full city block bounded by Eye, K, First and Half streets in Washington, D.C.’s Capitol Riverfront submarket. Tishman Speyer will develop the project to LEED certification.
PLANT CITY, FLA. — McCraney Property Co. has purchased 70 acres of a strawberry farm located at the intersection of County Line and Rice roads in Plant City. The West Palm Beach, Fla.-based industrial developer will build a 1.3 million-square-foot spec industrial development at the site known as County Line Logistics Center at Fancy Farms. The development will include Building 100 (131,200 square feet); Building 200 (168,480 square feet); Building 300 (173,600 square feet); and Building 400 (876,240 square feet), all being developed with 36-foot clear heights. Lisa Parks Abberger of Hauger-Bunch Inc. represented the seller in the land transaction, and Bruce Erhardt of Cushman & Wakefield represented McCraney Property.
ATLANTA — Through HFF’s debt placement division, U.S. Bank has provided a $58.5 million construction loan for the development of the Omni Hotel at The Battery Atlanta. The 16-story, 264-room hotel will anchor the $1 billion mixed-use village surrounding SunTrust Park, the Atlanta Braves’ new ballpark set to open in April 2017 in Cobb County. The hotel will feature 12,000 square feet of meeting space, a restaurant with rooftop seating, outdoor pool with a deck and bar, fitness center, wine and coffee bar, retail outlets on the third floor and concierge services. Whitaker Johnson and Jim Curtin led the HFF team in arranging the 42-month loan through U.S. Bank on behalf of the borrowers, TRT Holdings Inc. and Braves Development Co. LLC. The loan features two one-year extension options. Dallas-based TRT Holdings is the parent company of Omni Hotels & Resorts, and Braves Development Co. is owned by Liberty Media Corp.
ORLANDO, FLA. — CBRE has brokered the $49.8 million sale of a three-property portfolio totaling 271,192 square feet of office space within Central Florida Research Park in Orlando. City Office REIT purchased the assets from DRA Advisors. Situated adjacent to the University of Central Florida, the properties include Research Commons at 12249 Science Drive; Technology Park I and II at 3045-3051 Technology Parkway; and University Tech Center at 12501-12565 Research Parkway. The 1,027-acre Central Florida Research Park is the largest research and technology development park in Florida and the fourth largest in the nation. Ron Rogg and Chip Wooten of CBRE brokered the transaction.
CUMMING, GA. — Preferred Apartment Communities Inc. (PAC) has purchased Lakeland Plaza, a 301,711-square-foot shopping center located at the intersection of Georgia 400 and Highway 20 in Cumming. The shopping center is anchored by a 29,855-square-foot Sprouts Farmers Market and an 86,479-square-foot Belk. PAC acquired Lakeland Plaza through its wholly owned subsidiary New Market Properties LLC. Protective Life Insurance Co. provided a 10-year acquisition loan on behalf of PAC that features a fixed 3.85 interest rate. The seller and sales price were not disclosed.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. AND STONE MOUNTAIN, GA. — Ready Capital Structured Finance has closed two non-recourse bridge loans totaling $31 million for shopping centers in Jacksonville and metro Atlanta. Ready Capital closed a $19.7 million loan for the acquisition and renovation of Highland Square Shopping Center, a 277,553-square-foot retail center located on Dunn Avenue in Jacksonville. Situated a quarter-mile west of I-95, the asset was 73 percent leased at the time of financing to tenants such as Publix and CVS/pharmacy. The loan features a 42-month term with two one-year extension options and includes a facility for future tenant re-leasing reserves and future funding for tenant improvements, leasing commissions and capital expenditures. The other transaction was an $11.3 million loan for the acquisition and renovation of a 335,000-square-foot retail center leased to tenants such as Marshalls, Big Lots, Ross Dress for Less and Stone Mountain Community Center, an activity and fitness center serving the Stone Mountain community. The asset is situated at the intersection of Stone Mountain Highway 78 and Rockbridge Road S.W., roughly 20 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta. The undisclosed borrower purchased the REO asset from a special servicer. The short-term loan features a facility for future tenant improvements, leasing …
OXFORD, MISS. — Bellwether Enterprise has arranged a $16.4 million CMBS loan for The Cottages at Hooper Hollow, a 280-bed student housing community in Oxford. The property is located on the University of Mississippi’s campus. Jeremy Chism of Bellwether Enterprise’s Memphis office arranged the loan through LStar on behalf of the borrower, Trinity Business Group. Bellwether Enterprise, the commercial and multifamily mortgage banking subsidiary of Enterprise Community Investment Inc., closed 17 loans totaling $195 million in the month of June, including the Oxford transaction.
TAMPA, FLA. — Robbins/Electra America LLC (REM), a joint venture between Robbins Property Associates and its investment partner Electra America, has purchased a 12-property multifamily portfolio in North Carolina and Virginia for more than $400 million. Totaling 3143 units, the communities include seven properties in the Charlotte area, four in metro Raleigh and one in Richmond, Va. The new ownership is planning a multimillion-dollar investment program to upgrade the properties’ kitchens, bathrooms, fixtures, lighting and flooring. Berkadia Commercial Mortgage LLC arranged acquisition financing through Freddie Mac on behalf of REM. With this transaction, REM owns and manages 57 apartment communities totaling 16,689 units.