CHICAGO — Quantum Real Estate Advisors Inc. has brokered the sale of a 38-unit multifamily property in Chicago for $2.7 million. The courtyard building is located at 4126 W. 24th Place in Little Village. Clay Maxfield of Quantum represented the seller, which had owned the asset for 25 years. The property sold to a local owner with multiple assets in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.
NEW YORK CITY — Queens Development Group, a joint venture between Related Cos. and Sterling Equities, has broken ground on the first phase of a 2,500-unit affordable housing project in the New York City borough of Queens. The project, named Willets Point, will be the city’s largest affordable housing development in 40 years, according to the joint venture. Wells Fargo has arranged a total of $360 million in financing for Phase I of the development, with a $236.5 million construction loan and $123.5 million Low-Income Housing Tax Credit investment. Phase I of the development will feature two mid-rise buildings offering a combined 880 units of affordable housing. Forty percent of units will be reserved for residents earning at or below 60 percent of the area median income, and 15 percent of units will be set aside for tenants that formerly experienced homelessness. Amenities will include a landscaped inner courtyard, laundry facilities, lounge space with access to outdoor terraces, bicycle storage and ground-floor retail space. The development will also include infrastructure investments like new streets, signage, sidewalks, trees, lights, drainage, stormwater management, water hydrants, sewers and utilities. Future components of the development will include a 650-seat standalone public school, New York …
It would be impossible to write a development or design article without mentioning the elephant in the room — the state of the capital markets and the current hurdles in securing financing of any sort, but especially for new development projects. While demand for new communities exists in many markets, getting projects to pencil out is the tricky part. For those developments that can move forward, innovative architecture and design are being employed to make the projects as functional and efficient as possible. Out are some of the flashier amenities from the days of yore, and in is design that helps student residents be the happiest and healthiest versions of themselves, both mentally and physically. From the developer perspective, there is no question about the desire to build — especially in Power Five university markets. “Almost all of the Power Five universities have seen 7 percent to 10 percent rental rate increases over the past three years and are showing approximately 98 percent occupancy at most properties,” says Greg Faulkner, president of Humphreys & Partners Architects. “But math has to work with the rates, like equity requirements of 45 percent or higher. Hard costs have moderated, but some are still …
— By Juan Huizar, President, Sage Real Estate — Nationwide, multifamily sales are declining, while interest rates are rising. Buyers are adopting a patient approach, leading to properties lingering on the market for extended periods. This, of course, is accompanied by noticeable price reductions. Buyers are anticipating further price drops, while some sellers are slowly becoming more realistic in their pricing. Long Beach has perennially attracted multifamily investors with more than 7,500 individual apartment buildings. This is mainly composed of older housing stock, which creates a fertile ground for investors and syndicators. Often regarded as the last affordable beach city, Long Beach — despite being overshadowed by other Southern California communities or grouped with Los Angeles — stands as a significant population and employment hub, ranking as the sixth-largest city in California. Existing apartment sales for properties with five or more units have plummeted by more than 65 percent. Notably, 2021 was an exceptional year due to a confluence of factors, including rising real estate values and a low cost of capital. The current decline is more a reflection of increased capital costs than a trend over the past decade, with some properties selling for less than their 2019 prices. …
MANSFIELD, TEXAS — Texas-based private equity firm SPI Advisory has purchased Main Street Lofts, a 266-unit apartment complex in the southern Fort Worth suburb of Mansfield. Completed in 2022, the property offers studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units. The amenity package consists of a pool with an adjacent game lawn, fire pit and lounge, as well as a rooftop lounge with shuffleboard, fitness center with yoga and spin studios, dog park, conference rooms, biking trails and resident lounges with TVs. Grant Raymond, Asher Hall, Robert Stickel and Alex Brown of Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller, a partnership between Dallas-based Realty Capital Residential and Florida-based PointOne Holdings, in the transaction. Fritz Waldvogel of Colliers Mortgage originated an undisclosed amount of Fannie Mae acquisition financing for the deal.
SAN ANTONIO — Dallas-based brokerage firm The Multifamily Group (TMG) has arranged the sale of Lorenzo Apartments, a 72-unit complex in San Antonio. Built in 1960 on the city’s south side, the property features one- and two-bedroom units with an average size of 611 square feet, as well as a dog park and onsite laundry facilities. Jon Krebbs of TMG represented the seller, and Christopher Siemasko of TMG procured the buyer. Both parties requested anonymity.
NEW YORK CITY — Wells Fargo has provided $293 million in Fannie Mae financing for Lyra, a 590-unit apartment building in Manhattan’s Hudson Yards neighborhood. The property was completed in 2022 and features Class A amenities, a full-time doorman and ground-floor retail space. Additionally, 30 percent of the units are designated as affordable housing. The five-year loan retires a $225 million construction loan that Wells Fargo provided in 2019. Matthew Wiener and Preyaa Strzalkowski of Wells Fargo originated the financing on behalf of the borrower, an affiliate of Rockrose Development.
EUGENE, ORE. — A joint venture between Core Spaces and Harrison Street has acquired Identity Eugene, a 686-bed student housing community located near the University of Oregon campus in Eugene. The property has been rebranded The Rive Eugene and offers 209 units in studio through five-bedroom configurations. Shared amenities at the community include a resort-style, rooftop swimming pool and hot tub; state-of-the-art fitness center; roof deck with fire pits and outdoor grilling space; and a clubroom with games and private workspaces. Accounts managed by KKR provided financing for the transaction. The seller and price were not disclosed. “The University of Oregon fits well within our strategy and The Rive Eugene checks all the boxes in terms of location, quality, amenities and leasing performance,” says Brendan Miller, chief investment officer of student housing at Core Spaces.
NEW YORK CITY — A partnership between two locally based firms, EJS Group and New Hope Capital, has received $108.1 million in construction financing for a 240-unit multifamily project in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. The development at 12 Halsey St. will consist of three buildings, with 30 percent of the units to be reserved as affordable housing. Amenities will include a pool, fitness center, tenant lounge and rooftop garden, as well as ground-floor retail space. Completion is slated for fall 2025. The financing package consists of an $83.1 million senior mortgage loan from Bank OZK and $25 million in mezzanine financing from CanAm Enterprises. Aaron Appel of Walker & Dunlop arranged the debt on behalf of the developers.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. — The Dinerstein Cos. (TDC) is developing Atlas Kierland, a multifamily property in Scottsdale, and the latest addition to its Atlas-branded properties. Located at 7007 E. Marilyn Road, Atlas Kierland will feature 261 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, ranging in size from 809 square feet to 1,456 square feet. Residences will have vinyl plank flooring and contemporary kitchens equipped with quartz countertops, islands and premium appliances, as well as bathrooms with full-height tiled showers, soaking tubs and illuminated mirrors. Units will also feature full-size, stackable washers/dryers and keyless electronic door locking systems. The community will include a rooftop with resort-style pool, lounging areas and outdoor kitchens with grills. A sky lounge on the fifth floor will offer space for residents to host gatherings and a gourmet kitchen. Additionally, amenities include a fitness center, lounge center, golf simulator and pet spa. Construction is slated to begin in December, with completion scheduled for 2026. TDC Construction, the in-house construction arm of TDC, will serve as general contractor. Leasing for the property is set to begin in summer 2026.
