Paul Woodworth, head of agency lending for SunTrust, believes a lot of focus will remain on multifamily in 2019, but that doesn’t mean that multifamily deals will be a piece of cake. Instead, he predicts some ingenuity will be required on the part of the lender in order to keep momentum strong following an active 2018. What are the best ways lenders can work with developers to increase our nation’s affordable housing supply? Woodworth: Lenders should play a consultative and collaborative role. A financial institution has a unique opportunity to leverage its public-private relationships, bringing an array of resources to the table, including foundations, as well as public and private subsidy sources. It is also critical for a lender to bring multiple solutions to fill the capital stack. This could include construction or bridge financing, LIHTC equity and permanent lending solutions. Furthermore, banks have a desire and an obligation to serve their communities. Active — and creative — participation in delivering quality affordable housing plays a critical role in the sustainability of the communities we serve. Where is SunTrust’s sweet spot right now in terms of multifamily activity? Woodworth: SunTrust’s sweet spot is primarily focused in affordable housing, conventional multifamily — …
Southeast
Kaufman Lynn Construction Breaks Ground on Phase I of $350M Mixed-Use Project in South Florida
by Alex Tostado
PLANTATION, FLA. — Kaufman Lynn Construction has broken ground on Phase I of Encore Capital Management’s Plantation Walk, a $350 million mixed-use development in Plantation. Phase I is set to include a seven-story building with 171 multifamily units, 63,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space and 12,000 square feet of amenity space. At full build-out, Plantation Walk will include 700 apartment units, 160,000 square feet of office space and 200,000 square feet of retail space. The site is situated at the former Plantation Fashion Mall at 321 N. University Drive, about eight miles west of downtown Fort Lauderdale. Completion is slated for April 2020.
ORLANDO, FLA. — CBRE has arranged the $64 million sale of Island Club, a 472-unit multifamily community in Orlando. The asset is situated at 1401 Kirkman Road, about six miles west of downtown Orlando. Built in 1990, Island Club offers one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans. Amenities include a car care center, tennis court, volleyball court, two lake-side swimming pools, playground, game room and fitness center. Shelton Granade, Luke Wickham and Justin Basquill of CBRE represented the undisclosed seller in the transaction. Brian Eisendrath of CBRE originated a 10-year Freddie Mac loan on behalf of the buyer, TruAmerica Multifamily. The acquisition loan features five years of interest-only payments.
SPRINGDALE, ARK. — Apex Tool Group LLC has sold its 242,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Springdale to Trickling Creek Properties LLC. The buyer plans to look for new tenants for the building. The facility sits on 52.8 acres less than a mile from the Springdale Municipal Airport, and about 10 miles north of downtown Fayetteville. The building includes eight- to 10-inch reinforced concrete floors, seven-inch concrete block walls, ceiling heights ranging from 20 feet to 32 feet, approximately 24,000 square feet of air-conditioned office space, four eight-by-10-foot and two eight-by-eight-foot dock-high loading doors, and paved and lighted parking for approximately 430 vehicles. Holmes Davis of Binswanger represented the seller in the transaction. Marshall Saviers of Sage Partners represented the buyer. The price was not disclosed.
Cushman & Wakefield Brokers $50M Sale of Victoria Landing Apartment Complex in Central Florida
by Alex Tostado
LAKELAND, FLA. — Cushman & Wakefield has arranged the $50 million sale of Victoria Landing, a 352-unit apartment complex in Lakeland. Tampa-based Blue Roc Premier purchased the asset and has rebranded it as The Park at Palazzo. The asset totals 383,212 square feet across 12 buildings on 24 acres. The Park at Palazzo offers one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans and was 98 percent occupied at the time of the sale. Amenities include a resort-style swimming pool, hot tub, athletic facility, business center, sand volleyball court, car care facility, game room, playground, indoor basketball and racquetball courts, two dog parks and a pet washing station. Brad Capas, Luis Elzora and Robert Given of Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller, Minnesota-based Mercury Investment, in the transaction.
NEW ORLEANS — Stonebridge Cos. has acquired the 280-room Embassy Suites by Hilton New Orleans Convention Center hotel in New Orleans’ Art and Warehouse District. The hotel offers modern guest rooms, two- and three-room suites, a fitness center, outdoor pool, complimentary breakfast, complimentary drinks and appetizers nightly, on-site restaurant Stacks, a 24-hour business center and more than 8,000 square feet of versatile function space. This is the first hotel acquisition in New Orleans for Denver-based Stonebridge and the company’s third Embassy Suites by Hilton in the United States, joining locations in Austin, Texas, and Anchorage, Alaska. The seller and sales price were not disclosed.
Chad Thomas Hagwood, senior managing director and regional manager for the Southeast at Hunt Real Estate Capital, closes loans across the nation and sees opportunities in multiple sectors in 2019. While multifamily is still a standout, his scope extends beyond the industry buzzwords common today. Do you think refinancing activity will be as robust as it’s been in the recent past? Hagwood: There is no doubt refinancing will remain very active in 2019. Treasury yields have subsided from north of 3 percent and spreads are still extremely attractive. Many owners intend to hold their properties as opposed to selling. They realize they will have to pay top dollar to find a replacement property, or shell out a portion of their gains to Uncle Sam. It makes a great deal of sense to refinance and cash out versus sell, in many circumstances. What has been Hunt’s most popular loan product as of late? Hagwood: Both the 10- and 12-year fixed-rate conventional products with maximum IO [interest only] have been extremely popular with Hunt’s customers. In my opinion, the level of fixed-rate conventional business will continue to grow well into 2019 and beyond here at Hunt. The fixed-rate offering — compared with adjustable and floating …
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — Soft-Tex International Inc., a global pillow and bedding supplier, has expanded its lease in North Charleston to fully occupy a 236,843-square-foot warehouse at 3191 Ashley Phosphate Road, about 15 miles north of the Port of Charleston. This is the fourth expansion in North Charleston for the Waterford, N.Y.-based company since 2013, when it occupied just 25,000 square feet of industrial space. Alan Bolduc, Courtney Marous, and Kathleen Isola of Avison Young represented the tenant in the lease agreement. Colliers International represented the undisclosed building owner.
SunTrust Provides $35M in Construction Financing for Senior Housing Development in Athens, Georgia
by Alex Tostado
ATHENS, GA. — SunTrust Bank has provided $35 million in financing to support the development of Presbyterian Village Athens in Athens. The 70-acre continuing care retirement community (CCRC) will feature a total of 229 units. Development costs are estimated at $143 million. Presbyterian Homes of Georgia is developing the property, breaking ground in September 2018. The project is scheduled for completion in early 2021.
PTM Partners, EIG Acquire Opportunity Zone in Miami, Plan $100M Multifamily Development
by Alex Tostado
MIAMI — PTM Partners and Estate Investment Group (EIG) have acquired a 1.3-acre parcel in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood for $9.7 million. The joint venture plans to develop a $100 million, 18-story, 360-unit apartment complex at the site called Soleste Grand Central. The 220,000-square-foot project is set to include a resort-style, elevated pool deck, fitness center and spa, kids’ playroom, coworking space and resident lounge. The development will be situated at 218 N.W. Eighth St., about two miles north of downtown Miami.